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Need a little help with accomodation outside dc

My husband and I are visiting the DC area in late July, early August and we have stayed downtown DC on a number of previous visits and we are now looking to have a different experience - ideally we would like to be c. within an hours drive of DC but would like to stay somewhere romantic and full of character (upmarket / high end )and maybe golf /spa but not necessary.

We welcome any suggestions or thoughts you may have. thanks for your help.

Chesapeake Beach has the spiffy Chesapeake Beach Spa and Resort. Chesapeake Beach is also the sport fishing capital of the Western Shore.

Two hours away, on the Eastern Shore, are the towns of St. Michael's and Oxford. St. Michael's has the spectacular Harbour Inn and Spa and several B&Bs. Oxford has the rustic Robert Morris Inn, built in 1710.

Thanks for your comments - i checked out the chesapeake beach hotel - it gets very very bad reviews and in particular sounds like the beds are not comfortable.

As I will be undergoing medical treatment in DC I will be spending some time in bed resting after hospital so would like somewhere quite and peaceful - st michael looks nice but perhaps a little too far from DC for travelling.

If you are planning to come to D.C. on a daily basis, I would not stay far from D.C. because of the horrendous traffic. August will be a bit better because lots of locals go on vacation then, but traffic still won't be good.
What might appear to be an hour's drive from D.C. can turn into much more than that without any notice or apparent reason. The traffic here is simply crazy.

I agree with Longhorn55- traffic is crazy within a 2h radius of DC during rush-hour, which runs from 6-930am and from 4-7pm. I grew up in Western Loudoun County (near Middleburg) & if you are outside rush-hour, its an hour to DC on 66west from that end of the county.
The Goodstone Inn outside Middleburg is gorgeous and will give you the R&R you want. If you venture out farther, The Ashby Inn in Paris is great and even FARTHER, The Inn at Little Washington. Outside Leesburg, you could try Landsowne. Its kinda corporate and wont give you the real individual feel a smaller place would. Still nice, has golf, spa etc.
If you dont mind the suggestion, you could try staying close to DC (like Alexandria, Arlington, Tysons, Potomac) before your procedure and then trying a different place for your recovery. Good luck!

Thanks very much - The Goodstone Inn is exactly the type of place we are looking for - thank you very much for the recommendation.

Do you know roughly how long it will take from The Goodstone Inn - you mention an hour but would we need more time in rush hour traffic.

Alexandria looks like another promising option so I am going to see availability for both the Lorien and the Goodstone - but Goodstone really looks great it will just depend on how long realistically it takes to get into dc.

So glad you liked the recommendation- i figured it was the type of place you were looking for.
As for the drive, what time do you have to be in DC and where? lots will depend on that. Might want to speak with the owners and see...

The Lorien is a great hotel in Alexandria, very typical of Kimpton properties, well appointed with consummate attention to guests. I've enjoyed my stays there but it isn't particularly romantic or full of character though its decor is lovely and serene. It has nice spa facilities but I wouldn't call it a spa destination. Alexandria is a small urban city outside of DC proper with easy transit to downtown. The Lorien is a 5 minute walk to a metro station.

Good luck with your medical procedure and hope you find the right place for your recuperation.

The Turf Valley Resort in Ellicot City www.turfvalley.com has a spa and two golf courses. There are also several public and private courses nearby. It is a popular venue for weddings and conferences and is about a one hour drive from DC. One can also take an express bus from a not too far park n' ride, drive to a metro station (greenbelt station is good) or depending on your schedule, take a Marc train into DC which would be my first choice although the service is limited.

It is also convenient to Baltimore (20 minute drive) and Columbia (nice mall - 10 minutes). There are lots of good restaurants within a 1/2 hour drive, including upscale ones. The main street of Ellicot City is interesting in itself (about a 10 minute drive from Turf Valley) with lots of antique shops, restaurants etc. There is nothing of interest within walking distance of the hotel.